Our New Church Home

Almost 10 years ago, Adam and I got married at the altar seen above. It feels so amazing to be there again, this time with our two beautiful children - as members. Last Sunday, we joined Salemsborg Lutheran Church. It's not where we pictured we would be, that's for sure.

Last April, our young pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Mike Fibranz, died suddenly at his home. His first Sunday at Trinity was also our first Sunday 8 years prior when we moved there. He saw us through the births of our children, their beautiful baptisms, deaths in our family, job crises and sat vigil at my mother's bedside more than once. Even though we were moving 40 minutes away, we'd planned to continue our membership in the church that meant so much to us. But when he died, we knew that our journey there had also ended.

Back home in Salina, we visited several churches, settling at the church we'd attended when we lived here before - and that my whole family attends. It wasn't until I started my job and met Lisa that I thought about Salemsborg. We had met the pastor there a few times, and thought he was a little "different." He'd officiated two weddings we were in - Adam's cousin and then his brother - and it was not what we were used to in a Lutheran pastor. He was too silly, too crazy, too "non-Lutheran." But Lisa begged us to come visit. The church and Ethan had such an impact on her life, and she knew we'd love it.

The first Sunday there was like a family reunion. Between college friends, former colleagues, extended family and learning that Ethan's first parish was at my aunt's father's church, the ties were deep. We started attending regularly and shortly thereafter, my emergency surgery situation arose and Pastor Ethan stepped in to fill the void that Pastor Fibranz left. Ethan was there at the hospital by Adam's side the whole time. He and his wife came to see me daily. He proved to us that even though he was a total goofball and not at all like the traditional pastor we were used to, that he was truly a man of God. We knew we'd found a new church home. Joining there felt like coming home.

It feels wonderful to be in God's house and feel the spirit move. And having come full circle back to the altar where we joined our lives is a perfect way to ring in the next chapter in our lives.